Health and Safety goes back almost 60 years, and it has become an important part of every workplace!

I have put together a timeline which reminds everyone how Health and Safety has developed since the first time it was introduced back in 1956.

Before 1956 there weren’t any laws that affected Health and Safety, but come along “The Agriculture Health and Safety act”, ultimately this was developed to ensure all workers and even children were kept safe around agricultural apparatus. Out of all the laws, the most important one must have been the investigation and reporting of disease or accidents (which still today plays a big part in society!)

Come 1974, a revolutionary act was created which changed Healthy and Safety in the workplace for everyone, it was called “The Health and Safety at Work act” and when this was introduced it was meant to connect with both employers and employees. To ensure that this act was forced and regulated, the HSC (the Health and Safety Commission) was founded.

Along come the eighties, 1981 was when the HSC decided it was time to introduce the Health and Safety First Aid regulations, this demanded that an employer must ensure the appropriate first aid equipment is available to all workers.

With there being so many different workplace hazards, such as chemicals, electricity, heat sources, machinery, manual handling and even slip and trip hazards just to name a few… you can really see why these regulations have become a requirement for all workplaces to follow and why having the appropriate equipment is a must for all employees!

What is appropriate equipment? Ultimately it depends on what your job role includes, for example: A builder:

Head protection (hard hat) would protect them against head impact.

Eye protection (goggles) to ensure that wind or air movement won’t blow dust or particles into their eyes.

Hand protection (gloves) ultimately this will protect them from cuts, slivers, punctures or even electricity.

Foot protection (boots) they need them to protect them from the impact of falling or rolling objects, slippery or uneven surfaces, stepping on sharp objects and even electrical hazards.

Hearing protection (ear defenders) if they are working in a noisy environment, they will require these to protect them from excessive noise.

High visibility clothing (high vis vest) should the workers be working at night, or in low light, they should wear one.

Breathing protection (dust mask) in some scenarios, the builder may be working around potentially dangerous vapours or even just dust could be dangerous.

Having effective workplace safety measures put in place is vital to ensure the safety of employees and other personnel in a workplace environment. An effective method of preventing accidents and injuries is providing safety workwear and safety footwear to all employees. There is only so much protective workwear can do to reduce injury, but there will be times where protective clothing will not be enough.Continue reading →

Safety boots are shoes made with a protective reinforcement at the front making them quite durable. The reinforcement help protect the toes from falling objects or any kind of compression. They are normally installed with a sole plate in the main sole to prevent against punctures that may come from below. The reinforcement is normally made of steel hence they are sometimes known as steel toe cap boots. Continue reading →

A person’s head is definitely the most important part of the body. This is the body part that facilitates an individual’s ability to think, smell, talk, feel and hear, very crucial aspects of one’s life. It therefore makes a lot of sense for people to protect their heads from injuries. The first line of defence against head injuries begins with wearing a hard hat. This article can help individuals working in risky environment to Learn about the importance of hard hat head protection in the work place. Continue reading →

Protective work wear in the workplace refers to garments, helmets and goggles. They are designed to protect a worker from airborne matter, chemicals, electrical, heat and biohazards. They are worn for health purposes and job-related occupational safety.

Why protective work wear is important in the workplace, is that it provides for the safety and reduces a workers exposure to hazards, when administrative and engineering controls cannot reduce the risks to acceptable levels. The practice of using protective work wear has a hierarchy of control that provides a framework that ranks the type of hazard for risk reduction. The type of hazard, area of body protected and type of accessory or garment categorize protective work wear. Continue reading →

Wearing the correct footwear is very essential when employed in jobs that require a certain amount of safety. Protection of the feet can reduce and prevent any kind of injury that could take place. Safety shoes and footwear is very important and creates a safer and better working environment. Such shoes should be durable and reliable and should keep the feet protected from any harm or accidents.

Most men and women today, tend to look past these facts and buy cheaper and low quality shoes, as they believe that expensive safety shoes are uncomfortable. However many manufacturers all over the world have specially designed and created shoes that not only provide protection but also that are affordable and comfortable to wear. There are many different varieties of safety footwear that are available today Let us take a closer look at the different types of safety footwear for different job roles. Continue reading →